Long Way To Happy
by Mrs. McDreamy MD
Summary: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Or does it? MerDer AU
1. Chapter 1

** I know...yet another story...but I have been writing on this one for a while now...so there are some updates stored. Hope you like it. :D -Marci**

The sun streams in the open bay window, slanting across her face and recalling her to consciousness. The first thing that she notices is the bitter taste in her mouth from last night's tequila. The events are blurry, which in itself promises that a fun time was had. She squeezes her eyes tightly shut as the arteries in her head pound out an all too familiar rhythm—hung over, hung over, hung over.

A slight groan escapes from her chapped lips as images from the previous night play on the back of her eyelids like a movie on a screen: tequila shots, blue eyes, dark hair, arching back, screams of pleasure. A large chunk of the move seems to be missing, several frames appear to have been cut out.

The bed shifts on the opposite side, alerting her for the first time of the presence of another body in the bed with her. She slightly opens one eyelid, afraid of what might greet her blurry sight. A mass of dark curly hair is all that she sees before quickly closing her eye, as she is unable to restrain the small gasp of surprise that escapes from her trachea. She immediately places her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, not wanting to wake the stranger.

She extends one leg behind her, searching for the edge of the bed, hoping for a clean escape. Her manicured toes peak out from underneath the clean white sheet as foot finally meets air. Her eyes remain fixed on the mysterious head of dark air as she slowly inches her way backwards towards freedom.

She is almost there. Only inches to go until she is clear of the bed. Just as her hip touches the edge of the bed, the mysterious stranger shifts, startling her and causing her to fall off of the bed and onto her ass, pulling the sheet with her. She immediately jumps up and wraps the sheet around her body, her eyes immediately falling on the tanned and toned naked figure stretched out before her.

Her eyes travel down his muscular back to the dip just before the beginning of his well-formed ass. Her eyes continue on their downward journey to his thick, muscular thighs, littered with dark strands of rough hair. She is so caught up in drinking in the sight of him that she doesn't notice that he has turned his head and is now watching her progress with a smirk on his face.

His deep, husky voice, heavy with sleep, startles her from her silent appreciation of his finely carved features.

"Like what you see?"

She jumps and emits a small squeaky noise as she struggles to keep the sheet wrapped around her body. Her face turns a deep shade of crimson as her green eyes finally meet his blue.

"I…umm…well…I…"

His hearty chuckle interrupts her inefficient ramble as he runs his hand through his unruly mop of hair. That is when she notices it. The sun dances off of a thin band of gold on his left hand. She gasps.

"You're married!"

A confused look spreads across his face as he glances at the thin band of metal. He looks at her with questioning eyes, before a smirk crosses his face.

"So are you."

"I am not!" she responds in a voice full of disdain.

Another chuckle shakes his body as he motions toward her with his left hand.

"See for yourself" he tells her in a voice that is becoming more awake with each passing moment.

She looks down at her left hand and gasps in shock at the band that is placed on her left ring finger. She looks back up at him with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"But…how? I…"

Her sentence drifts off into silence as her gaze becomes fixed on that small piece of jewelry that symbolizes too much. She doesn't even notice when he gets out of bed or when he pulls on a pair of blue and white striped boxers.

"I…I don't get it."

He smiles warmly as he approaches her.

"Exactly how much do you remember about last night?"

She bites on her bottom lip as she stares at the floor. She doesn't want to tell him that about the only thing she remembers from last night was the multiple screaming orgasms.

He chuckles as he shoves a piece of paper towards her. She stares at the thin sheet of paper, wondering where and when he came to have it in his hand.

"Judging by this, I'm venturing to guess that some minister dressed as Elvis married our drunk asses last night," he says as he forces the now weighty document into her hands.

Her mouth falls agape as she stares at the piece of paper, which she now knows to be a marriage license. This can't be. She can't leave Vegas with a husband. She can't leave Vegas as a wife.

She instantly drops the certificate proving their nuptials as if it is a hot coal. She wraps the white sheet tighter around her body as she begins to search the room frantically for her belongings. He watches her with a bemused expression as he leans against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?" he asks her, clearly amused by her flustered behavior.

She picks up her black lacy bra from a lamp shade near the bed before turning to face him.

"No. There will be no talking."

She continues her frantic search about the room.

"Sex? What about sex?"

She sighs in frustration as she turns to face him. "No. There will be no more sex. Ever. There will never be any more sex."

"Well then, we may have a problem."

She walks up to him in short, brisk strides. "You think?! Are you just now figuring out that we _may_ have a problem?! Seriously?!" She pauses for a moment and turns away before quickly turning back to him. "Seriously?!"

With these words she picks up her last article of clothing and heads towards the door, not caring that she is dressed only in a sheet from wanting to escape the mysterious stranger as quickly as possible.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

She turns to face him. She inhales deeply to calm her nerves before speaking.

"Look, I'm sure you're a great person…"

"Derek."

"I'm sure you're a great person, Derek, but this is Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Before he has a chance to speak she runs out of the room, leaving him standing there in shock. By the time he runs out into the hallway to look for her, she is already gone.

He walks back into the room and picks the license up off of the floor.

"Goodbye, Meredith."


	2. Chapter 2

Meredith pulls into the parking spot and quickly jumps out of her old blue jeep. It has been a week since Las Vegas. A week since she fled his room. A week since she ran away from her husband. Her husband and she doesn't even know his name.

She runs into the hospital quickly, already late for her first day as an intern—not even having the time to stop and look up at the immense building that looms in front of her.

She makes her way through the familiar hospital, clipping on her identification as she slinks into an OR where Chief Webber, her stepfather, is giving his speech. She doesn't need to listen. She has heard that speech many times. She looks around the OR, excitement flooding her veins. She basically grew up in this hospital, but being here as a doctor, that is a new feeling of euphoria.

Before she knows it she is in the locker room getting ready for her first shift. Her first shift as an intern. Her first shift as a doctor. She pulls on her lab coat, Dr. Meredith Grey sewed on it marking her great achievement. She wraps the stethoscope Richard got her for graduation around her neck.

"Okay. Martin, Robinson, Bond, Lockins," a doctor yells through the various noises of the locker room.

Meredith looks around the bustling locker room. "Only 6 women out of 20," she says to the Asian getting ready next to her.

A sound like a snort escapes from the Asian. "Yeah. I hear one of them's a model. Seriously, that's gonna help with the respect thing."

'You're Cristina, right?" Meredith asks as she glances at the dark-haired woman.

"Patten, Munroe, Crow, Esquire," another doctor calls into the locker room. Four doctors are seen hustling out of the room, nervous looks on their faces.

"Which resident you assigned to? I got Bailey." Cristina says as the places her stethoscope around her neck.

Meredith glances at her out of the corner of her eye as she shuts her locker. "Nazi? Me too."

"You got the Nazi? So did I. At least we'll be tortured together, right? I'm George … O'Malley. (to Meredith) Uh…we met at the…ah mixer…you had a black dress with a slit at the sides, strappy sandals and….now you think I'm gay," the nervous intern rambles on.

Meredith and Cristina look at him, amusement on their faces.

"No. I'm not gay," he says as he attempt to defend himself, already feeling humiliated in front of Meredith.

"Uh huh," Cristina says, not believing him.

"It's uh…ah…it's just that ah…you know…I mean you were very unforgettable…and I mean…. " George stammers on, only to be interrupted by a doctor calling all of their names.

"O'Malley, Yang, Grey, Stevens."

The four of them make their way down the hall to where the doctor points. To the Nazi.

"Yeah, totally forgettable," George mutters as he follows behind the pack.

He doesn't know that Meredith isn't available. He doesn't know that she is legally married. None of them do. None of them know and Meredith fully intends on keeping it that way.

"I have 5 rules. Memorize them. Rule number 1. Don't bother sucking up. I already hate you, that's not gonna change. (points to the desk) Trauma protocol. Phone lists. Pagers. Nurses will page you.," the stout woman says after Izzie fails at an attempt to suck up. Bailey starts to walk away as they begin to grab the items off of the desk and they rush to follow.

"You answer every page at a run. A run! That's rule number 2. Your first shift starts now and lasts 48 hours," their resident yells back at them as she takes off running down the hall way, the bodies parting like the Red sea.

Meredith can't help but think that this was going to be a long day as she rushes behind, the other interns right along side her.

A FEW HOURS LATER

Meredith is standing in Katie's room, looking over her chart when her anxious parents rush into the room.

"Katie honey. Mom and Dad are here," the young girl's mother says as she rushes to her daughter's side. Meredith steps back, unsure of what to do. She has never done this before. Not really. Not as a doctor. As a med student, yes. As a doctor? No.

"They gave her a sedative for the CT scans so she's a little groggy," she says, the nervousness evident in her voice.

Mrs. Bryce glances up at Meredith, seemingly just being alerted to her presence. "Will she be all right?" she asks as she quickly glances back at Katie before fixing her gaze on Meredith.

Meredith nods slightly and starts to slowly back out of the room. She doesn't really know what is going on. She does, but she doesn't.

"Our doctor at home said that she might need an operation. Is, is that true?" Mrs. Bryce persists, unaware of Meredith's stealth attempt to flee the situation. "What kind of operation?"

Meredith fidgets with the watch on her arm. "She's um … well … you know what I'm not, I'm not the doctor. Um I'm a doctor. But I'm not Katie's doctor, so I'll go get him for you," Meredith stumbles as she moves closer to the door. She can't do this. She isn't ready for this. Katie's parents nod at her and she walks out of the suffocating room.

Meredith walks briskly down the hallway until she finds Dr. Bailey. Dr. Bailey sends her a death glare. "What?" she asks, impatience permeating her tone of voice.

Meredith stares at Bailey a moment before answering. "Katie's parents have questions. Do you talk to them or do I ask Burke?"

Bailey glances down at the chart in her hands. "Ah no Burke's off the case. Katie belongs to the new attending now. Dr. Shepherd. He's over there," she says distractedly as she motions to a door close to Meredith. She walks off, leaving Meredith alone.

Meredith sighs before gripping the handle of the door and pulling it open. She glances around the lobby area, searching for Dr. Shepherd. Her eyes land on a head of dark, curly hair. Her breath hitches as she sees him standing their talking to another doctor, his eyes focused on the chart held in his strong, masculine hands. Hands that she still dreams about. Her eyes can't help but drift to his left hand. His left hand that is still bearing the strip of cheap gold. The strip of cheap gold that claims him as hers.

She is rooted to the spot. She has dreamed about this man everyday since she fled his room. She has heard his pleading voice calling after her. She has felt his phantom fingers tracing their way over her sweaty flesh. She finally remembered the details of that night. She remembered as soon as she was in the shower. She remembered and she hasn't been able to forget.

Derek, her husband, is Dr. Derek Shepherd. Derek is an Attending neurosurgeon, head of his department. Derek Shepherd is her boss. Her husband is her boss. She feels her cheeks flush as she realizes that legally, her last name is now Meredith Shepherd. How could she not even know her legal name? Seriously.

Dr. Shepherd glances up from his chart and sees her, but she doesn't register immediately as he turns his attention back to his chart. Her feet are planted. She can't move. It takes a millisecond for him to glance back up from his chart and look directly at her, disbelief written on his face.

Meredith immediately turns around, not letting herself get lost in his shocked oceans of blue, and runs away through the door from which she came, once again running from him. Once again running from her husband. Derek stands their in shock for a moment, staring at the spot which she occupied just moments previous, before murmuring an apology to the doctor now staring at him with curiosity before running after his wife. He will not let her get away this time.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm glad you guys like this :D There is more of it posted on my site. The link is in my profile. You should all check it out :D -Marci**

Inhale. Exhale. Breathing, normally something that is done without much thought, except for now. As Meredith runs down the hall trying to escape her boss, her husband, she has to remind herself to breathe. Inhale. Exhale.

She is almost to the end of the hallway. She is almost there when she feels a firm hand grip her elbow and begin to lead her through a nearby door.

"Dr. Grey," he says with slight amusement in his voice, "I need to talk to you."

Meredith whips around as the door to the stairwell slams closed behind him, his lab coat still fluttering in the air from his sudden movements.

"Dr. Shepherd," she practically hisses as she glances around the stairwell, making sure that they are alone.

Derek cocks his head to the side and grins broadly as he crosses his arms over his chest. She can't help but remember the firmness of that chiseled chest under her touch. "Last week it was Derek, and now it's Dr. Shepherd?" he asks as he fights the laughter that is bubbling in his stomach.

"Dr. Shepherd," she repeats for emphasis, "we should pretend that it never happened." Her voice is serious, but her body is shaking from a combination of nerves and the desire already threatening to cause her blood to boil.

A smirk crosses Derek's face as he takes a step towards Meredith. The railing behind her prevents her from moving back. She can feel his hot breath lapping against her face, the smell of his minty toothpaste filling her nostrils as her heart beats wildly against her chest. "What never happened? You taking advantage of me last week? Or marrying me and then running away? Because both are found memories that I would like to hang onto now that I have recovered them."

She is torn between smacking him or grabbing his face and kissing him to wipe the smirk off of his face. She can't do this. He is her boss. Damn tequila. What is she going to do?

"You're my boss," is the only thing that she can think of to say.

He chuckles and nods as he places a hand on the rail next to her, his chest dangerously close to hers. "And you're my wife."

Meredith shakes her head. "No. We can't do this. I don't even _know_ you!" she states emphatically, trying to convince herself just as much as him.

"Oh, but I think you do," he responds suggestively as his eyes roam her body, the memory of her trembling beneath him so vivid in his mind.

She gasps as she leans further back into the bar. "Stop looking at me like that!" she says with narrowed eyes.

"Like what?" he quickly responds.

"Like you've seen me naked," she says in a serious tone.

Derek just smirks as he leans in close to her ear. "That's all I see when I close my eyes," he says in a low, husky voice riddled with restrained desire. He inhales deeply. "And your hair, it smells like some kind of flower, and every time I think of you...I can smell you as if you were lying across my chest again, your hair tickling me as my chest rises and falls..and.."

Meredith hold up her hand. She can't take it anymore. "Stop!" she practically shouts into his face. A confused look spreads across his face. "We can't do this. _I_ can't do this. You are an attending. I am an intern. I have a lot to prove. We cannot do this," she states in a stern voice, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him back for emphasis.

He grabs her wrist, holding her hands in place against his pectorals. She can almost feel his muscles twitching beneath her fingers. "We can do anything you want," he says as he cocks his head to the side.

"Dr. Shepherd!" she gasps.

"Dr. Shepherd," he responds as he nods in her direction.

"What?" Meredith asks as her mouth falls agape.

He chuckles. "You are Dr. Shepherd now as well," he responds in a calm voice.

She pulls her wrists out of his grip. "What? No, I'm not. I'm Dr. Grey. Dr. Meredith Grey," she says in a trembling voice. What has she done now?

"Not according to our marriage certificate. You signed Meredith Shepherd," he says in a matter of fact tone.

Meredith's face turns white as she stares at him. "Oh my God. My mother and father are going to kill me. This can't…I'm supposed to…no…you are lying…" she says as she begins to pace the small landing in the stairwell.

He grabs her shoulders with his strong hands. "I'm not lying, Meredith. You signed Meredith Shepherd, so, legally that is now your name," he says as he searches her wide eyes.

Meredith stops pacing as she collapses on the bottom step of the stairwell, her head instantly falling into her hands. "Oh God," she groans, almost as if in pain. Derek sits down next to her and she can instantly feel the heat from his virile body.

"Being married to me that bad, eh?" he jokes as he nudges her shoulder with hers, trying to lighten the mood.

"You don't get it, Derek," she says in a soft voice.

He perks up as his first name rolls off of her tongue. "What don't I get?" he asks, staring at her slouched form.

Meredith looks up at him, her face stressed. She might as well tell him. He will find out eventually. "Do you know who my parents are?" she asks.

A confused look crosses his face. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," she responds simply.

She opens her mouth to speak, but just then the door to the stairwell bursts open. Meredith jumps up and greets the face of her father.

"Meredith," he says with a large smile on his face, "how is your first day as an intern going?"

"Great," Meredith responds with false happiness.

Derek stands up. "Chief," he greets as he nods his head.

"Ah, Dr. Shepherd," the Chief states as he proudly wraps his arms around Meredith's shoulders. "I see you have met my daughter."

Derek's eyes widen as he glances between the pair. "I didn't know you had a daughter, sir…" Derek trails off.

"Well," the Chief responds, " I married her mother when she was 5 and adopted her when she was 7. We didn't change her last name because her mother wanted her to carry it on., but she is my little girl."

"Her mother? Wait. I thought you were married to Ellis Grey. I didn't know Ellis Grey had a daughter," he states with confusion in his voice. And then it all clicks into place. Meredith's fears. Meredith's anxiety over the change in her last name. And then something even bigger falls into place.

"Yes, fortunately for me. She will probably be working closely with you as she is planning to specialize in neurosurgery, so I expect you to take good care of her and teach her everything you know," the Chief says in a fatherly tone.

If only he knew just how good Derek had already taken care of Meredith.

Derek just nods before the Chief smiles at them both and exits the stairwell. This time it is Derek who collapses onto the bottom of the stairs and drops his head in his hands.

He is married to the Chief of Surgery's little girl. His boss is his father-in-law, Ellis Grey is his mother-in-law, his wife is his intern--and no one has any idea .


	4. Chapter 4

Meredith is working diligently in the research room. She is determined to find out what is wrong with Katie before her husband. Her husband. That word still sounds so weird rolling off of her tongue. She has no idea what she is going to do. Her mother is going to kill her.

She takes a deep breath as she clicks on yet another site and that is when she smells him. It is a scent that is distinctly him. A scent that has been lingering in her nasal cavity for the past week and obstructing her sense of olfaction.

She imagines that he is leaning against the door frame, watching her with that look. The look that seems to make her do things she doesn't want to do. Okay. Maybe she does want to do them, but that isn't really the point.

"What do you want, Dr. Shepherd?" she says in a somewhat frustrated tone as she swivels around to find him just as she imagined.

He smirks at her as he takes a step into the room. He cocks his head ever so slightly to the side. "Now, is that any way to speak to your husband, dear?" he asks with the smile evident in his voice, leaning down and placing a hand on each of the arm rests of her chair.

Her mouth falls slightly agape as she narrows her eyes at him. She can't help but note the playful curvature on his perfect lips. Perfect because they fit so well with hers. "Dr. Shepherd!" she whispers harshly.

"Yes, Dr. Shepherd?" he returns before she can continue on with her rant.

There is something about him. Something that gets under her skin. Something that makes her want to slap him. Something that makes her want to jump him. Her eyes momentarily travel to his lips, something that he doesn't fail to notice.

He moves forward just a little more, causing the current tension to bend even more, coming dangerously close to snapping. Meredith opens her mouth, only to close it again as she stares at him. She narrows her eyes.

"You are an ass!" she hisses at him.

He chuckles. "Your ass," he smirks.

She makes a noise that is a combination between a frustrated sigh and a growl. Her nostrils flare as her cheeks redden. "No! Not here! You cannot do this here!" she whispers harshly.

"Do what here?" he whispers as his eyes travel down to her lips. He licks his own as he thinks about the way they taste.

She points to him before pointing to her. "This. We cannot talk about the fact that we are technically married here. If my mother finds out…" she trails off as her eyes widen at the thought.

Derek chuckles. "Still afraid of dear old mom are we?" he asks in an amused voice.

Meredith hits him on the arm as she glares at him. "You have met my mother, for what? Two minutes?! And she had you freaking trembling in your cross trainers…try growing up with that…try…just freaking try it…she will disown me! And let's not even talk about my dad. My dad…ooohhh…he will grab the nearest scalpel and castrate you!" she says in a serious voice.

Derek noticeably pales as his mouth falls slightly agape. "Shit," he whispers.

Meredith can't help but giggle in the immediate transformation from suave and cocky to scared and trembling. As soon as she giggles, he regains his composure. "I was not trembling in my cross trainers by the way and you are taking a sick kind of pleasure out of this…aren't you?" he asks as he narrows his eyes playfully at her.

"Maybe a little," she answers with a giggle, her eyes lighting up as she looks at him.

He loves her giggle. It causes his heart to race and his temperature to rise. He can't help but notice the way her green eyes seem to twinkle when she giggles. She is absolutely stunning. His eyes travel once again to her lips, now slightly parted and welcoming. He subconsciously runs his tongue along his lower lip and watches that she does the same. He doesn't need to glance up to know that she is staring at his own lips. He can tell by the sudden stillness of the room, a stillness that still manages to vibrate with the tension radiating from the pair. A tension so strong that were someone else to enter the room, they would feel a strong desire grow between their own legs.

"Mer," he whispers as he moves slightly closer, his eyes not once leaving her lips.

"Yeah?" she breathes, almost in a pant.

Her hot breath laps softly against his face as waves on a calm shore and he knows. He knows that she wants this as much as him. Her breath smells like coffee…and he wants to taste her coffee so damn bad.

He blinks a heavy-lidded blink before completely removing the space that exists between their lips. As their lips meet, a sigh of relief echoes throughout the room as both feel their thirst for the other quenched after a long period of dehydration. Derek moves his hand to her hair, tugging at her rubber band and freeing it from its confines. Suddenly, the scent of lavender overwhelms the room and he can almost see purple from its sudden increase in intensity.

She opens her mouth slightly as he begins to move his fingers through her honey locks, allowing his tongue to make the much anticipated entrance into her mouth. Her nails scrape across his skull as she pulls him closer, deepening the kiss while moaning into his mouth.

He quickly withdraws his tongue, only to suck on her bottom lip for a moment before returning to further explore her mouth. He can't help but groan as he tastes the bitter coffee, coffee made all the more sweet by tasting it in the process of tasting her.

Her hands move from his raven locks down to his neck. She plays with the curls that reside at his nape before moving her hands slowly over his broad shoulders.

A passionate kiss. A perfected kiss that obtained perfection, not through practice, but from chemistry. A kiss that is quickly broken as the beeping of two pagers suddenly fill the room and recall the pair to their senses.

Breathless, Meredith quickly looks down at her pager before looking back at Derek. "It's Katie," she pants.

He simply nods as he readjusts himself to hide his erection. She can't help but smirk at the effect she obviously has on him before starting to leave the room. He grabs her by the elbow. "We still need to talk about this," he says in a desperate voice as his eyes search hers.

She closes her eyes for a moment before slowly nodding. "Later," she responds before taking off down the hallways and towards the room of their seizing patient.

He runs his hand through his now messy hair and sighs. She does something to him. Something…incredible and he doesn't want to let that go. He stands there for a second longer before quickly following his wife.

He can't help but feel that maybe fate had something to do with this. He can't help but think that no matter how drunk or irrational he may have been when they went to the church and entered into marriage, that marrying Meredith Grey is possibly the most sane thing that Derek Shepherd, M.D., Head of Neurosurgery at Seattle Grace Hospital, has ever done in his entire life.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a short update...hope you like it...and once again...there is more of this story on my board...the link is in my profile...I should have it caught up here soonish...I just usually do all of my updating on this site at the same time..**

"Dr. Shepherd?!" he hears someone yell after him as he steps onto the elevator. Not just someone. Meredith. His Meredith.

"Yes, Dr. Grey?" he says with a smirk as he turns around to face her in the full elevator.

"Katie competes in pageants," she spews, thinking that for some reason he will immediately understand what she is saying.

"I know that, but we have to save her anyways," he says with a laugh in his voice as he cocks his head slightly to the side and rolls back on his heels. His hands are in the pocket of his lab coat, and she can't help but glare at him and think about what a smartass he is.

The elevator door starts to close and she rushes forward to stop it. He stares into her eyes. "She fell. It was such a minor fall that her doctor didn't even think to mention it when I was taking her history, but she did fall," she says quickly as she once again stops the elevator doors from closing.

"What are you suggesting, Dr. Grey?" Derek asks with an arched eyebrow.

"What if she has an aneurysm?" Meredith asks quickly.

Derek stares at her in disbelief. "There is no proof..."

"But what if she has one anyway?" Meredith asks, cutting him off.

The elevator doors start to close once again, this time she doesn't stop them. "Do you know the chance of that, Dr. Grey?" he asks, emphasizing her name. "One in a million," he manages before the doors close on him.

Meredith sighs in defeat as she turns around and begins to walk away. She hears the ding of the elevator doors opening again and whips around to find Derek standing there. He smiles warmly at her before stepping off of the elevator.

"Let's go," he says with a smile in his voice.

"Where?" Meredith asks as a smile begins to curl the corner of her lip up.

He stops and turns to face her, his eyes boring into her soul and making a part of her melt, a part that she wasn't even aware of until he looked at her. He leans forward slightly, just so that the warm breath from his exhalations brushes against her face just as a warm summer breeze. "To see if Katie is one in a million," he answers in a tone that lets her know he is no longer just taking about a patient, but about them as well.

One in a million. Them. Fate. No. It couldn't be. Or could it? She shakes her head to dislodge the thoughts from her brain as she takes off after Derek, his words 'one in a million' echoing in the background somewhere behind the light sound of his crosstrainers echoing across the cold, hard tile floor of the hospital corridor.

He scribbles on the chart as she stares at the screen, waiting for the image to appear. Waiting to verify her diagnoses. Waiting for one in a million. Image after image appears, and still no aneurysm. She cranes her neck to look at him.

"There it is," the tech says as he points to the screen.

Both Meredith and Derek's heads turn to the screen.

"Well, I'll be…there it is…an aneurysm," he says as he lightly taps the screen with the end of his pen. He turns his head and smiles at Meredith. "One in a million indeed," his smile is bright as it travels to his eyes, illuminating them in a passionate glow.

She feels herself beginning to blush under his gaze and turns her attention from her husband to the screen. She feels him move as he begins to walk out of the small room. He pauses at the door.

"Dr. Grey?" he says with a smile in his voice.

"Yes, Dr. Shepherd?" she responds as she turns to face him, a small smile involuntarily appearing on her lips.

"Read up on the procedure. You will be scrubbing in," he says in a somewhat triumphant voice.

Her mouth falls agape as she stares at him. When she finally closes it and feels capable of forming a complete word, he has left her all alone with the tech. She shakes her head before exiting the room, a small smile curving the corner of her lip as she heads to the lounge to study up on the procedure, a very large part of her wanting to impress him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally an update!! Sorry I disappeared...life has been INSANE. I hope you all enjoy the update and thank you for being patient. I wanted to let you all know that there is more of this story posted on my site which is listed in my profile. I will try to post more as soon as I have a chance. **

**-Marci**

She isn't sure how long she has been staring at the words on the page, just that they have suddenly started to blur. The letters no longer look defined, but like pools of ink that have spilled sloppily across the blank page. The surgery isn't for another five hours,

Her eyes continue to grow heavier until darkness surrounds her. Her dreams are painted with visions of dark hair, glistening skin, and tangled sheets. She can feel the pleasure radiating through her body as a moan escapes her.

"Meredith?" she hears his voice call out as if he is in some distant land.

She groans some incomprehensible response.

"Mer?" he tries again, this time placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently.

Her eyes slowly blink open and immediately clash with his amused blues. "Hey," he says in an amused tone as he tries to suppress the chuckle that is bubbling inside.

She jerks up, a horrified expression crossing her face as she wipes the drool off of the side of her face. "How long have I been out?" she asks in a panicked voice.

Chuckling, he responds, "I'm not sure. Surgery is in an hour."

Her hands move to cover her mouth. "I've been out for four hours! Oh my God!" she groans as she allows her head to fall forward onto the table in front of her.

Derek chuckles as he leans in closer to her, his eyes scanning the room to once again make sure they are alone. "So, what were you dreaming about?" he asks with a smirk.

Meredith opens her mouth a couple of times, her color flushing even more as she looks at him. "Why?" she finally manages to ask.

He brings his mouth near to her ear and whispers "Well, I was just hoping it was me from the sexy noises you were making."

His breath tantalizes her ear as she her lungs struggle to get enough oxygen. She feels the sudden urge to turn and kiss him, before flinging him onto the table and taking him right there.

"No!" she says loudly as she suddenly jumps up.

"What?" he asks in amusement.

"I am not having sex with you!" she says vehemently as she points at him with her finger.

He smirks as he stands up, his form towering over hers. "Did I ask you to have sex with me? All I asked was if you were dreaming about having sex with me…" he says as he inches closer to her. "Unless, of course, you want to have sex with me," he finishes as he backs her up against the table.

Meredith's eyes involuntarily travel down to his lips as she licks her own. She finds herself leaning into him, searching for the comfort of his touch. The oxygen around them is highly flammable as they are both sending off numerous charges.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Shit!" Derek curses as he looks down at his pager and Meredith immediately retreats.

He smiles regretfully at her. "It's Katie. She's ready for surgery," he states simply in a frustrated tone.

He straightens up and looks down at the flustered Meredith. "Are you ready?" he asks in a challenging tone as he wiggles his eyebrows playfully at her.

She smirks at him. "I was born ready," she states simply before walking past him and leaving him alone in the room.

Derek shakes his head before following behind her. This would definitely be one interesting surgery.

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The tension in the air is impenetrable. The intruders, the nurses and other members of staff in the room, can feel it. They just do not know from where it is originating. But they can feel it. They can feel their own sexual tension building just from breathing it in, just from basking in it—a simple contact high. That contact high which screams sex.

She stands up on her tippy toes at the back of the room, trying to get a look at the surgery as Derek begins to remove the skull cap. The room is full. It is his first surgery and everyone is anxious to see the young hot shot in action.

Her fingernails digging into his back as his body began to shake involuntarily. Now that was action.

A small smirk causes the corner of her lip to upturn in a smile, a smile that screams of secretive escapades.

"Dr. Grey?" his deep voice calls out through the crowded room, causing her to jump as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

She is forced to regain her balance before she can answer him. "Yes, Dr. Shepherd?" she finally manages in the most professional tone possible.

"Come here," he commands her in a domineering voice that only heightens the sensitivity of her core.

"Seriously?" she asks as she raises a single eyebrow.

His chuckle resounds throughout the operating room as he takes his eyes away from the exposed brain and glances at her, his smile evident even though it is covered by his surgical mask.

"Seriously," he responds in an amused voice.

Meredith slowly pushes her way through the crowd, her legs slightly wobbly from the numerous emotions coursing through her body. When she finally reaches him, his eyes are looking through the microscope as he makes his way through Katie's brain. She can't help but think of how much he has invaded and scrambled her brain in the past several hours.

He takes his eyes away for a moment and smiles at her, encouraging her to look through the microscope opposite of his. As they both search together for that tiny imperfection, a storm brews inside both of them. A storm that erupts when the find their one in a million aneurysm and Derek expertly clips it. They have captured their one in a million, but the question is…how long will they hold on to it before it ruptures in their hands?


End file.
